It was a Sunni day in Baghdad... but that was before the American Apaches rose above the horizon, an unsuspecting private accidentally taping over Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, sending Iraqis running from the raw hip-hop stylings of Outkast.
Now that the Bombs Over Baghdad have settled, though, the Shiite has hit the fan, as clerics representing the country's religious majority rush to fill the power vacuum left since Saddam stopped Baath'ing.
Now, if you're like most (North) Americans, you probably couldn't tell an imam from your own mother. Maybe you think Al-Jazeera is a terrorist organization based in New Orleans, or that the Koran is a call centre manager. Mecca is the shit when it comes to your 'gear', and mosques are for Halloween. But even for the modestly well informed it is easy to lose track. With American media inundating us with the names of the ten-most wanted terrorists, the top ten Al-organizations, and 52 collectibele images of your favourite regime bad boys found on "Playa Cards"; it's easy to see how one can get confused. Well, mullah no longer over this dilemma, as I present to you "A Guide to Iraq's Clerics".
While the Bush Administration is busy patting itself on the back for "freeing" the Iraqi people, and pumping rhetoric about their "serious commitment to nation-building" almost as fast as they're pumping the oil, Iraq's religious leaders are busy stepping in to take control of the population. After living under Saddam's iron fist for so long, the Iraqi people have grown used to a certain sense of stability. No matter how unstable the madman was, at least they knew what to expect. Better the devil you know.... as they say. But following the invasion, citizens throughout the country were plunged into a state of chaos, with widespread looting, a lack of essential services, and no centralized authority to remedy the situation. While the butcher was not exactly loved, and was indeed feared by many, what the Iraqi people fear most is anarchy. Recognizing this, muslim clerics are flexing their influence and fighting for political power. Reporting from Iraq, Peter Maas of the New Republic writes, "the imams are in control. The gunmen are theirs, the hospitals are theirs, the banks are theirs, the streets are theirs." So, without further ado, let's introduce the key players cast for Persian Gulf's Eleven. The Man: First up is Muqtada al-Sadr, the martyr's son and the man with the most intense stare south of Turkey. Currently holding power over "Revolution City" (the Baghdad neighbourhood formerly known as "Saddam City"), Muqtada has parlayed the assassination of his father Mohammed al-Sadr (a prominent Shiite cleric and opposition leader who was killed in 1999) into a serious following and a serious power play. Not yet a full-fledged religious scholar, al-Sadr is still a student at the influential Kawza Seminary, but using his political skills and riding on the family name he has managed to lubricate himself into a position of power there. He controls one of the centre's most powerful factions, and has numerous followers in Najaf, Nasiriya, Karbala, and the massive East-Side slum of "Revolution City" (also known as "Sadr City", and named after his father).
"Don't call me Junior"
The Agenda: Al-Sadr is a hardliner who not only opposes the U.S. presence in Iraq, but wants the country to become an "Islamic nation".
The Method: Although he has urged his followers not to "shed blood" while protesting the U.S. occupation, his speeches are anything but conciliatory, and has stated that "anyone supported by the US is cursed by us". Rather, this 'peaceful' attitude seems to be more of a strategic consideration than a moral one. The reason Al-Sadr is the guy to watch, in my opinion, is precisely due to his subversive game plan. Rather than fighting the American presence head-on, al-Sadr is keeping things low-key while him and his followers are quickly and quietly aggregating power throughout the land, hoping to gain enough control that they cannot be ignored. Expect to see Muqtada tip his hand later in the game, rather than sooner. The Man: 63 year-old Mohammad Bakr al-Hakim is the religious leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. During Hussein's rule al-Hakim was based in Iran (until last month he hadn't been in the country since 1980), and as a result his popular support is no match for Al-Sadr. However, he does command a well-armed militia, the Badr Brigades, which is financed through subsidies from Iran. Not only that, but the SCIRI has a seat in the Iraqi National Congress, where Washington likes to practice most of its puppetry talents.
"I just got over a bad bout of Nasiriya"
The Agenda: Originally courted by the Americans because he opposed Saddam, al-Hakim now wants the U.S. out, and says he will not accept a "forced government". He said he wants to unify Iraq under a "banner of Islam", but has also pointed out that he does not want to "copy Iran's revolution". Regardless, al-Hakim faces opposition as rivals have expressed doubts about his independence from Iran and his ability to connect with Iraqis.
The Method: Al-Hakim hopes to parlay his party's seat in the INC into a prominent position in the next installation of the Iraqi government. However, in order to gain popular support, al-Hakim must distance himself from Iran and shed his poser image. The Man: Official religious leader of the Iraqi Shiite population, 72 year-old Ali al-Sistani is the most respected scholar in the holy city of Najaf. Like al-Sadr, al-Sistani controls a powerful faction of the Kawza Seminary, but his political power base is minimal in comparison to the aforementioned players. This is because Ali believes that religion and politics do not mix.
Al-Sistani Superstar
The Agenda: Since he likes to keep himself out of the political sphere, al-Sistani is not looking to help the Americans build a new Iraq with separation of church and state. Even so, his followers and commentators alike take his silence as implicit rejection of an Islamic theocracy.
The Method: Although he is not pursuing a political agenda, his views on politics and religion have great influence on the many imams who are considered loyal to him. It is also interesting to note that he is currently not on speaking terms with al-Sadr Jr., and was consistently at odds with his father, due to al-Sistani's passive approach. The Man: Rounding out the group is pretty boy Kadhem al-Husseini al-Haeri, an elder Iraqi-born mullah who has resided in Qum, Iran since 1973. He is a respected cleric and challenger for al-Sistani's role as scholarly heavy-hitter of the Shiite leadership. Al-Sadr claims to look to him for guidance, and refuses to co-operate with al-Hakim unless he too accepts al-Haeri's religious authority.
"I'm too sexy for my Qum"
The Agenda: Al-Haeri advocates a restrictive, Iranian-style religious government in Iraq. Last month he issued a widely read fatwa instructing Iraq's clerics to "raise people's awareness of the Great Satan's plans and the means to abort them".
The Method: As the Godfather of Iraq, al-Haeri's religious authority lends credence to al-Sadr's efforts to rally Shiites behind him, and he may be content to pull the political strings from the shadows while giving al-Sadr all the religious credibility he needs. However his departure from Iraq in the '70s may lead some to doubt his loyalties. And that about wraps it up. For those of you unfamiliar with Islamic terms and titles, you can look up anything you didn't understand by following those links.
Personally though, I'm down with the Buddha. He's a lot funkier.
Your Chic Sheikh,
- The Madd Monk
Source Material:
New Republic, "What Iraqis Want", 05/05/03
Slate, "Gist - A Guide to Iraq's Shiite Clerics", 05/15/03
Slate, "Explainer - Middle Eastern Titles: A Glossary", 10/04/01
Slate, "Explainer - Islam: A Glossary", 09/24/01
Blown to Shiite! 
